After being on the receiving end of Länderfinanzausgleich for 32 years, remember. These lazy Bavarians exploited the north and industrialised themselves and now they've got to pay. Unfortunately we didn't demand they dismantle their late-feudal system in exchange for our money.

It seems contempt for idleness runs north to south in Europe (I certainly noticed it when I live in Germany.). Are the folks in Svalbard the ones who ultimately get to pee on the rest of the continent on this issue?